American Redstart (female).
Ah, what a day.
Brown Thrasher.
First of all, the temperature reached 80 degrees (F), at least. Second, I did more physical activity than I have in a good while, which felt great. Third, I will sleep damn well tonight.
Got to Beech Hill early—but with Jackie (Stratton, CMLT Stewardship Project Manager) not Jack (my dog), since I was helping fertilize three or four blueberry fields (organic sulfur only). The work was fine, if a little sulfury, and it went pretty fast. Heard a bunch of birds and saw a small kettle of Broad-winged Hawks (four). Even early, you could tell this would be a warm, glorious day.
A couple hours later, I went back to the hill with Jack (my dog), and we hiked all trails. Listed more birds—including a pair of Brown Thrashers near the summit—and got a decent photo of a female American redstart near the main parking lot, where for the third straight nesting season male redstarts have been singing like crazy.
Butterflies seem to have materialized out of nowhere. Saw several species all over the hill. Also grasshoppers. And dragonflies. And Six-Spotted Tiger Beetles. And had inspiring conversations with three friendly parties of fellow hikers lured up there by the lovely Saturday weather.
Six-spotted Tiger Beetle.
Then, in mid-afternoon, I rode my bicycle some twenty miles up around Camden and back. More birds, a few crazy raindrops (under small, not very dark clouds), a bunch of other cyclists. Felt good to sweat like crazy for the first time since at least last fall.
Tonight it’s mild out. And fragrant. There’s a firefly in the rose bush, and a loon is wailing somewhere out in the cove.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I helped spread sulfur on next year’s blueberry fields; then at 11 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v)
2. Yellow Warbler** (v)
3. Common Yellowthroat** (v)
4. Chestnut-sided Warbler** (v)
5. Alder Flycatcher (v)
6. Eastern Towhee
7. American Crow*
8. American Redstart**
9. Veery
10. Ovenbird** (v)
11. Eastern Wood-pewee
12. Downy Woodpecker**
13. Chipping Sparrow** (v)
14. Song Sparrow**
15. Savannah Sparrow
16. Broad-winged Hawk**
17. Field Sparrow (v)
18. Common Raven (v)
19. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
20. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
21. American Robin*
22. Nashville Warbler (v)
23. Hermit Thrush (v)
24. Gray Catbird** (v)
25. American Goldfinch (v)
26. Eastern Phoebe
27. Turkey Vulture
28. House Finch (v)
29. Blue Jay (v)
30. Tufted Titmouse**
31. Brown Thrasher
32. Black-throated Green Warbler**
Elsewhere
33. Herring Gull
34. House Sparrow
35. Mourning Dove
36. House Finch
37. European Starling
38. Red-winged Blackbird
39. Northern Cardinal
40. Cedar Waxwing (v)
41. Common Loon (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Black-capped Chickadee.
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, broad-winged hawk, brown thrasher, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common loon, common raven, common yellowthroat, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, red-winged blackbird, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, veery, yellow warbler
